'Incursions will hurt ties': Rajnath Singh hits out at China for 'illegal occupation'

Home Minister Rajnath Singh was in Leh to address a public rally when he touched on the sensitive issue of China’s occupation of Indian territory

Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday that Beijing has illegally occupied the Aksai Chin region in Ladakh, and blamed the Congress for making “China India’s neighbour”.

Rajnath Singh was in Leh to address a public rally in the run-up to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections when he touched on the sensitive issue of China’s occupation of Indian territory.

He said the illegal control of Aksai Chin and incursions by Chinese troops do not augur well for cordial ties between the two countries.

The strong comments on China came after he had issued a warning to Beijing against constructions in Indian territory.

New Delhi has toughened its position on incursions by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) along the Line of Actual Control.

He tweeted that China was never India’s neighbour but the wrong policies of the Congress government made it so.

He pointed out that Tibet was no longer a buffer between New Delhi and Beijing.

“Who ended relations with Tibet, it’s Congress,” he tweeted.

Singh’s tough talk coincided with an India-China military exercise that is underway in Pune.

The hand-in-hand exercise has been underplayed till now.

He said India wants good relations with all neighbours but such a gesture should be reciprocated.

Coming down heavily on the Congress for ignoring the Ladakh region, he said the party considered it nothing more than a “cold desert”.

Making a strong electoral pitch, Singh said Jammu and Kashmir was close to the heart for the BJP.

Ladakh can emerge as a major tourist destination if it is developed with a vision, he said. Describing Ladakh as an important region, Singh said it has a unique historical, cultural, spiritual and strategic significance.